Hey everyone:

I've got a 2013 Journey that's fairly recently out of warranty (naturally). I've been noticing lately that there are specific times when I can get no response from the key fob. It's pretty easy to reproduce, but not 100% certain to happen. Here's a common scenario:

* Reach destination, put in park, shut off vehicle

* Get out of car, close door

* Try to lock with key fob, no response

* Try to unlock with key fob, no response

* For grins, try to remote start, no response

* Push handle button that goes with touchless entry system. Doors will lock successfully.

* Alternatively, I can just walk away and come back in a few minutes and the doors will lock from the key fob. After some period of time, unlock, and remote start commands will work normally as well.

FYI, I've switched to the 2nd key fob and also changed key fob batteries, with no effect.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of issue? I spent some time doing some Google research, but I never found anyone mentioning this sequence of events. Any advise would be appreciated.

Thx

 

When this occurs is your fob well away from other devices that could emit a signal, such as a cell phone, gps device, another key fob, etc.?

 

Interesting thought.... Key fob is usually in my RH coat pocket, and my cell is on my LH hip pocket. Which is the same position that both of those objects are in on the way OUT of work when everything works normally. It only really seems to come into play when the vehicle has just been shut off.

Also, I've noticed this issue in several different locations, so it doesn't seem to be something specific to where the vehicle is parked.

Thanks!

 

No problem!

I know signal interference can sometimes cause a fob to be inoperative, but if it works fine in that same position, I wouldn't think it's related to this circumstance.

 

So I think I've diagnosed this issue, and the solution is a little embarrassing.

When I first started to notice this issue, the first thing I did was change the battery in my key fob. I stopped noticing it for a bit, then the issue came up again, so I started this thread.

I started to wonder if somehow my key fob hadn't gotten switched with the spare one, so I opened it and found that it was definitely NOT the new battery I had just put in. Thus, my key fob got switched by the Mrs. or a kid or something. I changed the battery in this one as well and the problem seems to have disappeared.

So it would seem that this phenomenon is possibly a pre-programmed sequence of events in order to encourage the user to change the battery in the key fob. My guess is that having an intermittent problem like this is more likely to send an owner to the dealership to have it checked out, as opposed to throwing battery warning message in the dash screen, which would likely lead to a person changing their own battery.

Anyway, there you have it.

 

Thanks for following up with your resolution! I'm glad to hear everything is in working order now.